Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3210, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 316, §3, is amended to read:

5. Funding for research and development; community demonstration projects. The commission by rule shall establish a program allowing retail consumers of electricity to make voluntary contributions to fund renewable resource research and development and to fund demonstration community projects using renewable energy technologies. The State Planning Office shall administer the program. The program must:

A. Include a mechanism for customers to indicate their willingness to make contributions;

B. Provide that transmission and distribution utilities collect and account for the contributions and forward them to the commission; and

C. Provide for a distribution of the funds to the University of Maine System, the Maine Maritime Academy or the Maine Technical College System for renewable resource research and development.; and

D.__Provide for a distribution of the funds to Maine-based nonprofit organizations that qualify under the federal Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3), consumer-owned electric cooperatives, community-based nonprofit organizations and community action programs for demonstration community projects using renewable energy technologies.

Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.

Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3210, sub-§6 is enacted to read:

6.__Additional funding.__The State Planning Office may seek and accept funding from other sources, whether public or private, for the use of the program established under subsection 5.__Any money in the fund may not lapse but must be carried forward.

Sec. 3. Appropriation. The following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this Act.

1999-00 2000-01

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT